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STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN - APRIL 13: Yoislandy Izquierdo weighs in during the official UFC on Fuel TV weigh in event at Ericsson Globe on April 13, 2012 in Stockholm, Sweden. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Yoislandy Izquierdo

TRAINING: My days are pretty hectic and very busy. I attend Zen Jiu-Jitsu in the mornings to practice Jiu-Jitsu, and in the evenings I go to Young Tigers to practice my stand-up and MMA. In between, I fit in physical training and I make sure I dedicate some time to my family as well. By the time the day ends I'm pretty exhausted.

When and why did you start training for fighting? I started training for fighting at the age of 12 in karate-do for health reasons. I was asthmatic, and thanks to the sport I was able to breathe better and eventually not experience any more symptoms. Throughout the years I mastered other martial arts such as San-Shou. After seeing my victories as an amateur fighter, I realized that I have a talent in martial arts and decided to train harder. Once I left Cuba I pursued my career as a professional fighter in MMA.

Do you have any heroes? Jesus Christ is my hero. I wouldn’t be here without him.

What does it mean for you to fight in the UFC? Fighting in the UFC, the world’s largest MMA organization, means that I can show the world my talent and be able to provide a better future for my family, especially my two daughters. It means that once I succeed further in the organization I will be able to provide more help to those in need. It is an honor to be a part of this big family that is the UFC.

Did you go to college and if so what degree did you earn? I attended school post high school in Cuba and studied sales management.

What was your job before you started fighting? The job I had and still have is working for an export company loading vehicles into containers being exported overseas.

Getty Images reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this image or clip. If you violate our intellectual property you may be liable for: actual damages, loss of income, and profits you derive from the use of this image or clip, and, where appropriate, the costs of collection and/or statutory damages up to $150,000 (USD).